Federal Grants, Loans, and Work-Study

To receive federal student aid, a recipient must be accepted as a regular student into an approved program, be a citizen or eligible non-citizen, make satisfactory academic progress, enroll in courses required for the approved program, and complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). If the FAFSA is selected for verification or flagged for additional documentation, required paperwork must be submitted before any federal financial aid can be awarded. See below for eligibility requirements for each federal aid program.

Direct Loans

This government-insured loan program with low interest rates is available through the Department of Education. The FAFSA and Master Promissory Note must be completed before a Direct Loan will be originated and disbursed. Amounts borrowed may not exceed annual loan limits, aggregate loan limits, or cost of attendance when combined with other estimated financial assistance. When a student graduates or enrollment drops below half-time, loans may begin repayment as early as 30 days and not later than six months. Contact the Financial Aid Office to determine when loans will go into repayment.

Federal Pell Grants

This federal grant is awarded to eligible undergraduate students based on their calculated financial need. The FAFSA determines Pell eligibility, and the Department of Education determines the amount of Pell awarded. Pell awards will be prorated according to enrollment status and EFC (Expected Family Contribution). The FAFSA is available beginning October 1, and can be completed via https://student aid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa.

Federal PLUS Loans

Parent PLUS loans are credit-based loans available to parents of dependent students to help cover college expenses. The PLUS application may be submitted via https://studentloans.gov. The credit check will remain valid for 180 days. If denied, the student will become eligible for the independent annual unsubsidized loan amounts, or the parent may choose to have the PLUS denial endorsed. If approved, the PLUS loan may be scheduled up to, but not exceeding, the cost of education when combined with all other estimated financial assistance. The FAFSA must be completed prior to filling out the PLUS application, and the Master Promissory Note must be completed prior to disbursement.

Federal SEOG

The Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant is awarded only to Pell-eligible students. Priority order is based on lowest EFCs (Expected Family Contribution). The number of awards will be based on availability of funds.

Federal Work-Study

This program provides on-campus jobs for students who need financial aid, thus giving them an opportunity to earn money to help pay educational costs. The Federal Work-Study award varies according to funds provided to the University and aid received from other programs. Students will be paid at least the current federal minimum hourly wage. Students must first complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and must be making satisfactory academic progress.

Veterans Benefits

Veterans who wish to receive educational benefits must apply for benefits by completing the Veterans Online Application at https://benefits.va.gov/gibill. The Certificate of Eligibility must be submitted to the School Certifying Official (SCO) no later than the first day of class. Each student is required to submit a new Certification Request to the SCO upon registration each semester. This is to be submitted to the SCO no later than seven days prior to the start of classes. These Certification Requests are available through Piedmont’s School Certifying Official or the Registrar’s Office. The School Certifying Office will compile the certification to the VA in conjunction with the following supporting documents:

• Student’s semester schedule
• Student’s copy of semester billing statement
• Student’s copy of semester financial aid resources
• Disbursement Roster (copy) from the VA showing payment of requested funds

Verification Policy

Verification is the process of confirming the accuracy of students’ information as reported on the FAFSA application. The University is notified by the U.S. Department of Education of applications that require verification. In addition, the Financial Aid Office may select a student for verification if there is a discrepancy. The U.S. Department of Education gives the University the authority to request copies of certain financial documents from the student and spouse or parents in order to accomplish this task. The student may be notified by the Department of Education and by the Financial Aid Office that verification is required. Documents can include, but are not limited to, student and spouse or parents’ Tax Return Transcripts, W-2 forms, and verification worksheet. Links to the verification worksheets are available on the Financial Aid Student Terminal (FAST) page of the website. Instructions are on the worksheets.

The student is required to submit all information requested for the verification process in a timely fashion. The student’s financial aid cannot be processed until the verification is complete. All financial aid must be processed in its entirety before the end of the semester to satisfy the debt on the student’s account. Failure on the part of the student to fulfill his/her financial obligation to the University can result in the student’s removal from class attendance.

If the verification reveals changes that need to be made to the FAFSA, the Financial Aid Office will make those on behalf of the student.

Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

The Financial Aid Office of Piedmont International University administers financial aid programs from federal and institutional sources. The U.S. Department of Education requires that schools develop and implement policies by which academic progress is evaluated and monitored for all students, including those who have not received financial aid in previous semesters.

Students must meet Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements to receive any financial aid, including grants, scholarships, loans, and Federal Work Study. This policy includes standards for Qualitative and Quantitative measures. The academic records of all students are reviewed after the end of each payment period. Notification will be sent from the Financial Aid Office notifying those with insufficient academic progress when they are being placed on Financial Aid Warning or Suspension.

Definition of Attempted Hours

• The hours for which the student is registered as of the last day of the add/drop period
• All transfer hours that are relevant to the students current academic program (transfer hours are applicable to rate of completion but not toward a student’s GPA)
• All hours taken, even if the student did not receive financial assistance during these time periods

Definition of Completed Hours

• The hours for which a letter grade of A, B, C, D, or P is received. Transfer hours are included.

Qualitative Standard Cumulative

GPA is composed of all attempted hours at the current academic level and is calculated by the Registrar’s Office. To meet the qualitative standards, students must meet the minimum cumulative GPA as determined by their classification and program. Courses taken under the “repeat” policy may be considered for appeal.

Student Classification	Required Minimum Cumulative GPA for Program
Certificate and Associate’s Programs	2.00
Education Bachelor’s Programs
0-60 hours earned	2.50
61+ hours earned	2.75
All other Bachelor’s Programs
(0-60 hours earned)	1.80
(61-90 hours earned)	1.90
(90+ hours earned)	2.00
Master of Arts in Ministry	2.00
Master of Arts in Biblical Studies*	2.50
Master of Divinity	2.50
Accelerated Master of Divinity	3.00

 

* M.A.B.S. Ph.D. preparation track students can graduate with a 2.50 GPA, but must graduate with a 3.00 GPA to qualify for admission to the Ph.D. program.

Quantitative Standard

The student must complete the required number of attempted hours of coursework at his/her current level. The requirements are as follows:

Certificate and Associate’s Programs	67%
Bachelor’s Programs
Freshman	50%
Sophomores	67%
Juniors	67%
Seniors	67%

Withdrawals after the last day of the add/drop period, incompletes, repeated courses, failure grades, and transfer hours relevant to student’s current degree will count as attempted credits. The student may not receive federal financial aid for more than 150 percent of the degree program as measured in credit hours, but will lose eligibility at the point where it is known he is unable to complete his degree program within the 150 percent time frame. All coursework is included, whether the student received federal financial aid during that period or not. The student may appeal the completion rate or 150 percent rule on the basis of coursework not applicable to the current degree program, but the SAP may only be reset one time.